Gay Adoption

Gay Adoption

Right now, in the world as we know it in 2014, there are laws against the adoption of children-an idea which has saved many children from the foster care system – by homosexual couples.  This is wrong in many ways; this is a crime to those parents who are denied a family unit, those children who could find a loving family in those lonely parents, and those who watch as, day by day, the foster care system fills with children that could go to a caring family.

Laws regarding gay adoption vary from state to state, although there’s just one state banning ‘gays’ from adopting outright. Though some of these states, like Mississippi and Utah, have laws against unmarried and single parents alike adopting, most states allow all people their constitutional right of caring for a family(pbs). As of 2014, there are approximately 397,000 children in out-of-home care in the U.S., including those in foster care, orphanages, convents, etc. Why would we deny people, regardless of their sexual preference, their right to save a child from depending on the government system?

“Up to 80 percent of all children in foster care have serious emotional problems.” (childrensrights.org) This issue could easily be solved for many children by increasing the amount of possible homes these kids and teens can become part of, and allowing homosexual parents to adopt; as well as making the legalities, paperwork, and overall process easier. Studies show that "Supporting a child as a gay couple will not affect the child's quality in life.” (debate.org). As of yet, I’m sure that children born and raised by a family have a higher success rate and quality lifestyle compared to those who remain in government care. Studies say that “10 percent of the children (over 23,000) exiting foster care aged out of the system .”(ahs) We could drastically expand the amount of children able to live in a normal family setting, rather than living off of the public care system, if we would just consider people able parents based not on their sexual preference, but their ability to parent and nurture their children.

To be well-adjusted, a child does not need the presence of a male or female role model, and  “research has shown that the adjustment, development, and psychological well-being of children are unrelated to parental sexual orientation and that the children of lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those of heterosexual parents to flourish.” (advocate). Children able to be with such a family have been and continue to show no change in their behavior compared to a child brought up by heterosexual parents (advocate).

        If people decide against a child’s inability to be with their mother, they should consider reading into open adoption arrangements, where the birth mother (who in most cases is either unstable financially or too busy to take care of her child) is kept in touch with their child, they are just not their guardian. In an article (conceivable) on the personal story of one happy little family, one of the fathers said “[we] talk openly and often about the fact that he’s adopted and, although we’re his parents, he has another family who love him very much and are a part of his life.” So in a real testimony by those in an environment which allows their family to flourish, the child still gets an opportunity to meet his biological family.  In this situation, the child gets the best of both worlds! The family that didn't have the resources to take care of him and the two faithful dad’s guidance and will to bring him up right.

The leader of the ‘free world’, Barack Obama, is on the side of egalitarians across the nation, and demonstrated this in a recent speech, where he said, "What makes you a man is not the ability to make a child, but the courage to raise one." This of course, could also be applied for lesbian couples, as a study conducted by Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, showed a child with two female parents "did better academically and were less likely to have behavioral problems" (content). Exemplifying how the child’s quality of life wouldn't be changed by their parents sexual preference.

There are many other problems that the world (and especially, America) should be focusing on; the equality issue is one that should be solved early on, at a global level. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in allowing homosexuals their basic rights, and, most importantly, the right to have a family. Who are we, regardless of religion, to vote on whether or not these people can and are capable to raise children? A person is a person, and their characteristics are not based on their sexual preference, but on their values. I hope one day the well being of the children and the surplus of government funds going into facilities for orphanages and childcare will be taken into consideration, and the worldwide relief for children will be structured homes - regardless of who is taking them in. As long as the environment is safe, a child should always get a chance to live in a loving family setting.